Opening on 2nd August is one of Mansfield Museum’s summer exhibitions, ‘Keepsakes, Keyrings and Kiss Me Quick’, a touring exhibition from Hertford Museum exploring what makes some objects special to us and why we keep them.

The touring exhibition will be supported by a wide array of souvenirs that museum volunteers have found in the archives, as well as some of our staff’s own bits and bobs ranging from Olympic Games pyjamas to mugs from Skegness to Nottinghamshire colliery plates. And of course, a Kiss Me Quick hat!

The exhibition covers areas from seaside holiday to wartime souvenirs to religious mementos and lots in between. Objects on display include very delicate lace Valentine’s cards from around 1900-1910 which are very fragile and feature intricate pictures and scenes. Some World War One postcards will also be on show, including silk embroidered cards and photographic ones printed with poems. These are fascinating objects and very relevant in this WW1 anniversary year.

Several of the paper items, including the lace Valentine’s cards, will be copied and enlarged in our ‘Get a closer look’ area, enabling visitors to see detail they might not otherwise be able to.

Visitors will be able to put on their own Punch and Judy show in our puppet theatre; dress up in different holiday hats and take photos with our Seaside Sally boards. There are also art activities to keep the kids busy, including ‘design a Mansfield Postcard’. You can share your photos of the Seaside Sally or your own favourite souvenirs with us on Facebook and Twitter using #mansfieldkeepsakes as a tag.

The exhibition runs to 13th September and is free.